Pallino Burger Comes to Bay View
Italian-inspired food truck is now stationed at Lost Whale.
Pallino Burger food truck. Photo by Sophie Bolich.
Brothers Adam and Derek Anzalone were raised on Italian cuisine, with generational recipes that flavored their childhoods and later became the foundation of their food truck, Pallino Burger, which launched last summer.
After nearly six months of slinging sandwiches at its flagship location in Zocalo Food Park, the truck hit the road in November, setting its sights on a new location. The sea change brought the brothers to Lost Whale, where they soft-launched a limited menu last weekend.
Pallino is now permanently stationed in the belly of the whale—better known as the back patio of the cocktail bar at 2151 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.—and plans to make its official debut with a full menu on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
Diners can expect the return of Pallino’s meatball bomber and chicken parmigiana sandwiches, along with handmade sausages and freshly ground burgers, courtesy of Adam’s expertise; he also serves as head butcher for G. Groppi Food Market.
“Everything’s fresh, and it’s not too complicated of a menu, but that was intentional,” Derek said. “It’s just simple. We’re grown and raised in an Italian family … so we have a little bit of our culture in there, too.”
The meat-forward food truck also plans to expand its menu with a selection of vegetarian items — including a mushroom burger — in the near future, Derek said.
Both owners take pride in the taste and quality of Pallino’s offerings, attributing the food truck’s growing popularity to the care and attention they put into every dish.
“We’ve got good stuff, so we’re starting to get a following,” Derek said, noting that he hopes to capitalize on the momentum with the potential launch of a second truck. “People might see us popping up in some other places. We’re not quite there yet, but we want to get there quick.”
The new partnership reinstates a food program to Lost Whale for the first time in several years. When the bar opened in 2018 under Daniel Beres and Tripper Duval, Iron Grate BBQ Co. stationed its food truck on the patio.
Lost Whale focuses on creative craft cocktails and is the site of frequent holiday pop-ups with such themes as Elf and “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Starting Dec. 11, Pallino Burger will open Wednesday through Sunday at 4 p.m. Its closing time will depend on traffic, Derek said, but will likely fall around 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 p.m. or later on Fridays and Saturdays and 8 p.m. on Sundays.
“We’re kind of feeling that out,” he said.
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